Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 170 The Great Onmyoji, Advancing to the Top 16 and His Gains! (Please Subscribe)

Good luck in the game! I hope you can be on this field again the day after tomorrow!

Robredo recalled the words spoken by the audience in the stands and offered his blessings.

He really wanted to see if the fans in the stadium would continue to interfere if Jiang Hong and Nadal faced off.

Whether Jiang Hong can withstand the pressure and deliver a brilliant performance remains to be seen.

You can't only get excited when you're hitting yourself, right?

"Thank you, I also hope that I can still be standing on the field then!" Jiang Hong shrugged, looked up at the stands, and nodded with a smile.

After all, being reborn and playing against one of the greatest players in tennis history was something he naturally longed for.

"Alright, I won't disturb your moment of victory any longer!"

After Robredo finished speaking, he voluntarily left the stage and walked away from the side.

At least half of the Spanish fans in the stands got up and left after seeing Jiang Hong win.

The few Chinese fans in the stadium had all moved to the lowest seats to wave and cheer for Jiang Hong.

Although Jiang Hong won both games in a row over two hours, the audience thoroughly enjoyed watching.

To be honest, Jiang Hong's match was actually easier than Del Potro's in the first round.

This is not because Del Potro is stronger than Robredo right now.

The difference lies in the players' styles.

Del Potro's powerful forehand always caused Jiang Hong a lot of trouble during the match.

Jiang Hong can counter Robredo's baseline skills with his forehand and backhand techniques, and his speed is inferior to Robredo's.

This explains why, in many cases, some players can defeat the top three players in the world, but cannot defeat another player in the top 10.

Jiang Hong sent several tennis balls towards the area where the Chinese audience was gathered.

I went over and got an autograph and interacted with them.

Zhang Sheng, sitting in the broadcast booth, looked very happy, after all, Jiang Hong had won the game.

Zhang Sheng has been commentating on Jiang Hong's matches since the Wuhan Challenger final, and then on the China Open, the Tokyo Open, and now the Madrid Masters.

Jiang Hong's performance throughout the journey was impeccable.

Moreover, Jiang Hong seems to be constantly improving, and his strength in the next competition is even greater than in the previous one.

Although I defeated players in the top 10 back then, it was definitely not as easy and effortless as it is now.

"Jiang Hong successfully defeated Robredo to enter the round of 16 of the Madrid Masters. That's a decent result, isn't it?" Aunt Tong remarked to Zhang Sheng.

In fact, for non-superstar players, successfully reaching the quarterfinals of a Masters tournament will be counted as a result for that year.

Unless you have an exceptionally good track record in this year's competitions, winning championships left and right, then reaching the quarterfinals is definitely not a big deal.

However, for players ranked outside the top 50, reaching the round of 16 is already a pleasant surprise.

After all, players ranked 40th to 50th are still struggling to qualify for the main tournament, and some may not even make it out of the qualifying rounds and thus fail to enter the main tournament.

"For the Chinese players, this result can only be described as a pleasant surprise!"

Zhang Sheng shook his head. Although he had confidence in Jiang Hong, he initially thought that it would take another year or two for the transition to work out.

"After Jiang Hong entered the top 16, his ranking should have risen again, right?" Aunt Tong suddenly thought of this and turned to ask.

Every point Jiang Hong earns is setting a new record in Chinese tennis history.

The points earned by the top 16 in the Masters tournament should be substantial.

Zhang Sheng's eyes lit up, and he became curious. He immediately started searching on the computer.

After the website page refreshed, Zhang Sheng excitedly said, "The round of 16 in the Madrid Masters is worth 75 points. Adding the 15 points Jiang Hong earned through the qualifying rounds, his total points have now reached 552!"

"In the current rankings, he's ranked 70th, and the Masters tournament prize money is $25000!"

"So many bonuses! That's more than two years' worth of our salaries!" Aunt Tong clicked her tongue and exclaimed.

Zhang Sheng turned his head and glanced at Aunt Tong, "Although the bonus is quite a lot, you have to keep achieving good results, otherwise, free agents like Jiang Hong might even lose money!"

To be honest, they usually only interact with players from within the system.

Even players who aren't part of the system, like those in basketball and football, have guaranteed salaries, while tennis players have to rely on themselves.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hong had already finished his performance and thanked everyone.

At this moment, Jiang Hong packed up his equipment, carried his bag, and walked into the players' tunnel. He was then taken to the advertising boards to give a post-match interview arranged by the organizing committee.

The host glanced at Jiang Hong and said with a professional smile, "First of all, congratulations on winning the match. As far as I know, this should be your first time participating in the Masters, and you have successfully defeated Robredo to enter the round of 16 of the Madrid Masters!"

"Thank you!" Jiang Hong nodded. "This is indeed my first time participating in the Masters Tournament, and I am very grateful to the fans who cheered me on both at the venue and in front of the TV. This victory belongs to them too!"

After the initial pleasantries, the host finally couldn't hold back any longer and started talking about the fans during today's match.

"Midway through the first set today, you clashed with Spanish fans and even made provocative gestures. What were you thinking at that moment?"

conflict?

They really know how to smooth things over. Wasn't it the Spanish fans who actively interfered with the game in the first place?
Jiang Hong's eyes widened immediately, and he asked with a bewildered look, "Did I have a conflict with Spanish fans? I didn't know that."

"Back when the fans were booing you and criticizing you, didn't you even pick your ear and provoke them?" The host wasn't going to let Jiang Hongmeng get away with it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hong immediately looked enlightened and nodded.

"Oh, so this is what you're talking about!"

The host's eyes lit up; finally, they were getting to the point. He eagerly pressed on, "So, what were you thinking at the time?"

"It seems I misunderstood!" Jiang Hong shook his head, looking heartbroken, and said, "I thought the Spanish fans were cheering me on, so I gestured for them to be louder. Turns out they were interfering with my game?"

"I thought that as a developed country, Spain's fans would be very well-mannered and wouldn't harbor such malice towards an away player!"

"I was completely wrong all along, sigh, Spain!"

Jiang Hong sighed deeply, looking disappointed.

The interview was being broadcast live on CCTV. When I heard the host's questions, I was worried that Jiang Hong might say something irrational, but I didn't expect that Jiang Hong would directly shift the blame back to him!

Viewers watching on television were instantly amused by the conversation between Jiang Hong and the reporter.

"I think Jiang Hong must have known that the Spanish fans were mocking him. His expression was so innocent; he'd be perfect as an actor!"

"His very words are those of a seasoned yin-yang master; they're so sarcastic and unsettling!"

"Wasn't this host deliberately trying to get Xiao Jiang to say some extreme things?"

Meanwhile, Spanish television stations were also broadcasting it simultaneously.

Spanish fans were completely dumbfounded when they heard Jiang Hong's words.

Could it be that they really misunderstood Jiang Hong?

I think I've heard before that Chinese people aren't very flamboyant!

However, the host did not believe that Jiang Hong was so naive and immediately continued to press for answers.

"Even if you don't understand Spanish, you should be able to understand their boos, right?"

The host was secretly pleased; now they'd see how the host would try to deny it.

Jiang Hong scratched his head and smiled, saying, "At the time, I thought they were mocking Robredo, complaining that he wasn't performing well enough. After all, my fans always criticize me harshly when I don't perform well!"

He wasn't lying. If he lost the game, his haters would immediately jump out and start criticizing him, wishing they could crush him to the ground.

The host remained expressionless, while Jiang Hong was so slippery that he couldn't find any weakness in him.

So he had to call it quits; he felt that if he continued the interviews, he would get breast cancer from the stress.

"Thank you for the interview. Please say a few words to the audience before you finish!"

Jiang Hong picked up the microphone and said with a serious expression.

"I urge Spanish fans to watch the game in a civilized manner and abide by the rules of the stadium!"

Goodbye! (Adiós)

Finally, Jiang Hong said goodbye again in Spanish!
After finishing speaking, he put down the microphone, waved his sleeves, and left gracefully without leaving a trace.

Even the host didn't realize that Jiang Hong had started speaking Spanish.

Just kidding, after being disgusted by you guys, I still have to play the victim.

That doesn't exist; we must retaliate in kind!
Spanish fans watching the interview were instantly overwhelmed.

"Esoobi Kabuto!"

"I want to buy a ticket to see him lose his next match!"

"We have to go to the stadium tomorrow!"

As a surfer of the internet age, how can I tolerate this injustice?
After taking a quick shower in the locker room, I took Mark Jie to the press conference hall.

That was an interview with the organizing committee; there's another interview with other reporters coming up.

I just walked into the lobby.

"Jiang Hong is here! Jiang Hong is here!"

"Everyone, get ready!"

“Clap, clap, clap!”

It was as if a flashbang had been thrown inside; all sorts of flashes came flying at us.

Fortunately, Jiang Hong was prepared and had put on sunglasses before entering the venue.

Mark J., standing next to him, was not so lucky.

Tears streamed down her face as she faced the frantic reporters.

After Jiang Hong sat down in the interview area, he noticed that Zhang Sheng was sitting in the first row.

It turns out he specifically asked a reporter at the station to tell them he was there for a visit.

They had all heard Jiang Hong's interview on the television in the press conference hall.

Jiang Hong noticed that there were significantly more European journalists today, and Spanish symbols could be seen on their microphones.

"Let's begin the interview!"

Jiang Hong took a sip of water, and instantly everyone raised their hands.

The Spanish journalists, in particular, were practically standing up.

His eyes flashed with murderous intent; he seemed to be saying, "I'll interrogate you to death." "CCTV, go first!" Jiang Hong completely ignored them.

Zhang Sheng immediately stood up, a bright smile on his face.

"Jiang Hong, there were some setbacks during the match. How did you withstand the pressure and achieve victory despite the unfriendly attitude of the fans at the stadium?"

"Faced with the interference and boos from the fans in the stadium..." Jiang Hong thought for a moment, then replied, "I think as a tennis player, you're bound to encounter something like this sooner or later!"

"Although I was very fortunate to have many fans from China come to support me at the previous matches!"

"However, I don't think these boos and distractions will make me lose the game!"

"On the contrary, it can further ignite my competitive spirit!"

Jiang Hong's eyes were filled with determination.

Zhang Sheng nodded, and then asked two more questions.

Jiang Hong then called on several reporters from domestic sports newspapers.

"Hello Jiang Hong, you will be facing Nalbandian in the third round tomorrow. Are you confident that you can defeat him and advance to the quarterfinals to face Nadal?"

The reporter from Sports Weekly stood up and asked Jiang Hong with a smile.

To be honest, tennis fans are quite familiar with Nalbandian China Fortune.

After all, in 05, many players withdrew from the Shanghai Masters Cup.

Nalbandian, ranked 11th in the ATP rankings, was already on vacation when he was suddenly told he would be a substitute player.

As a result, he fought his way through the competition and successfully made it to the final to meet Federer.

Federer swept him in the first two sets, but Federer rallied to win three straight sets and reverse the match, ultimately securing the 05 ATP Finals title.

However, Nalbandian's performance in this year's Grand Slams, Masters tournaments, and regular tour events has not been particularly outstanding.

He is currently ranked 25th in the ATP rankings.

In the minds of Chinese reporters and fans, Jiang Hong had already defeated Robredo, so wouldn't it be a piece of cake for Nalbandian to beat him?

No one could have predicted that Nalbandian would suddenly unleash his full potential at the end of the year.

He defeated Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic to win the Madrid Masters; then, in the back-to-back Paris Masters, he defeated Federer in the third round and Nadal in the final to win the title.

However, judging from his current performance, Nalbandian's form this year can be described as mediocre.

“Nalbandian has won the year-end finals before, and he is currently ranked much higher than me. I think he is a strong opponent. I don’t plan to predict the result before the match, but I believe it will be a great match, and I hope everyone can cheer for me!”

The reporters all took it as Jiang Hong being modest.

After being interviewed by several Chinese reporters, he faced a Spanish reporter whose eyes were wide open, as wide as a cow's.

Jiang Hong suddenly stretched and said that he was too tired and needed to recover his physical strength for tomorrow's game.

The Spanish journalist was so angry that he couldn't sleep that night.

After returning to the hotel, Jiang Hong received a massage and physical therapy.

Then Mark Jermaine began to explain Nalbandian's playing style, characteristics, and some tactical habits.

Jiang Hong was not as optimistic as the audience and reporters. He knew in his heart that Nalbandian might be his toughest opponent in this Madrid Masters.

He might be even more difficult to deal with than Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.

After seeing Mark Jie and Fu Yunlong off, Jiang Hong was the only one left in the room.

Jiang Hong suddenly remembered his suggestion; he had been too focused on the competition to notice it at the time.

"system!"

After calling out in my mind, the panel appeared before my eyes.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the suggestion to disrupt Robredo's rhythm with 10 changes of direction during the match. Reward: Baseline Training Acceleration Card *1]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the suggestion to maintain 30% of your physical fitness at the end of the competition. Reward: Physical Training Acceleration Card *1]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully defeating Robredo and advancing to the round of 16 of the Madrid Masters. You have received a treasure chest.]

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Hong saw an iron box appear on the system panel.

After a brief cutscene, the box slowly opened.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have gained +1 Advanced Backhand Technique Point]

Jiang Hong's eyes lit up. For Jiang Hong, improving any skill now requires at least a month of practice.

The two training cards can only be used after the match, but this advanced backhand technique can immediately increase Jiang Hong's combat effectiveness!
Without the slightest hesitation, "System, give me some points!"

[Backhand: 84→85]

Jiang Hong picked up the racket and tried it out, and it did seem to be much smoother.

"It really comes down to the forum members!"

Jiang Hong immediately turned on his computer, logged into Tieba, and began rapidly typing on the keyboard.

[Cyber ​​coaches, Xiao Jiang is here again for advice! Do you have any good suggestions for the next match against Nalbandian?]

Although it's already three or four in the morning in China.

However, the forum members were all night owls and obviously hadn't gone to sleep yet. As soon as Jiang Hong posted, they all rushed in.

"Jiang Shen, you're finally here! I've been refreshing the forum so much, it almost crashed my computer!"

"Xiao Jiang was amazing today, he turned the Madrid Stadium into the Madrid Library."

"They even resorted to underhanded tactics during the game, but ultimately they still couldn't win."

"Teacher Jiang's sarcastic and unpredictable style is truly a unique skill. I, who am clumsy with words, really want to learn it. I'm begging you to open a class!"

"Has Robredo reserved the 'Jiang Shen's personal male servant' seat? After two losses, it seems like he's finding it easier to fight now."

"Jiang Shen easily defeated Robredo, and I reckon Nalbandian won't be a match for him either. I'm a little excited to be facing Nadal so soon!"

Besides excitedly discussing today's match, many forum members are also analyzing tomorrow's match against Nalbandian.

"Ever since he came back from 0-2 down to defeat Federer in the 2005 Shanghai Masters Cup, I've been a fan of the King of Chess. I thought he was going to soar to great heights, but I found out I was wrong. He's just a wild card."

"They never disappoint you when it comes to letting you down. When they're behind, they're like they've been injected with adrenaline, often able to stage a comeback; but when they're ahead, they might let themselves go and make all sorts of mistakes."

"And once the game is reversed, emotions may completely get out of control."

"Judging from the first two rounds, he's in good form, and it's possible that his unpredictable style is about to be unleashed again."

"So, Jiang Shen, just listen to me. Jiang Shen can play mind games with him, put psychological pressure on Nalbandian during the match, slow down the pace of the game and wear him down, he'll probably explode!"

Nalbandian earned the title of Chess King because of his meticulous tactics.

[Ding, Received: Slowing down the pace of the match to put psychological pressure on Nalbandian, causing him to lose control of his emotions. Reward unknown (depending on progress)]

Jiang Hong was somewhat surprised when he saw the reply; it was so detailed.

As expected, there are experts on Tieba who have compiled even more detailed information than Mark Jie.

Jiang Hong decisively chose to include the suggestion. He didn't know if it would actually make Nalbandian lose his temper, but it was definitely a method.

Afterwards, Jiang Hong collected several more suggestions.

[Ding! Completed ten successful serve returns and attacks. Reward unknown.]

[Ding! Successfully defeated Nalbandian and will now face Nadal. Reward unknown.]

I have to say, I gained quite a bit from Tieba tonight.

Jiang Hong didn't stay up late; he chose to rest early.

The next morning, news about Jiang Hong's competition was already everywhere.

"Jiang Hong is still going strong in the Masters tournament, where is his limit?"

"The Madrid stadium has been turned into a library, all because of that man!"

"Jiang Hong provoked the audience and hurt the feelings of international friends. We recommend that the authorities impose penalties!"

The website received tens of thousands of reports as soon as the news broke.

Less than ten minutes later, the news article had vanished without a trace.

After all, the crazy data manipulation on Tieba almost crashed the website.

In addition to Chinese media, Japanese media are also reporting on the match, and their reports are quite positive.

However, South Korean media subtly suggested that Lee Hyung-taek was simply absent; otherwise, his performance would have been even better than Kang Hong's.

Spanish newspapers Marca and AS also reported on the match, but both portrayed Jiang Hong as the villain.

……

"Oh? Today's match is scheduled for the center court?" Jiang Hong raised an eyebrow upon hearing Mark Jie's words.

"That's right. The organizing committee originally planned to hold the match at the auxiliary stadium, but many Spaniards strongly requested that it be held at the central stadium."

"So this morning, the tickets were sold a second time."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Hong raised an eyebrow. Were these Spaniards really so resentful of him?
But it's all good, after all, playing against the champion from the original timeline is certainly worthy of the center court.

Spanish journalists were still resentful of Jiang Hong's cold treatment of them, and in the morning they made a special trip to the stadium to interview Nalbandian.

"Mr. Nalbandian, most viewers seem to favor Jiang Hong and Nadal to meet in the quarterfinals, and don't think you and Jiang Hong will have a good match tonight. What's your opinion on this?" The reporter deliberately stirred things up.

Nalbandian's personality was inherently quite emotional and unruly.

Although he had also reviewed Jiang Hong's information, he felt that the other party did indeed have some ability.

But surely they don't look down on me like that?

Moreover, he feels he is in excellent form this time, and his goal is to win the Masters title.

"These spectators just don't understand tennis. Tonight's victory will belong to me. I'll win in straight sets. As for Jiang, he won't have a chance!"

"My goal this time is the championship, and even Nadal can't stop me!"

Upon hearing this, the Spanish reporter was taken aback. "You were supposed to attack Jiang Hong, so why are you talking about Nadal?"

Oh well, since I've already dug up the news, I'm not going to argue with Nalbandian. I'm just thinking about getting the news published as soon as possible.

As night fell, Zhang Sheng arrived at the broadcast room early. He was the only one there today, mainly because the station had received too many complaints last night, with strong demands to replace the other party.

Zhang Sheng was very happy about this, at least he didn't have to worry about being asked strange questions.

"CCTV, CCTV..."

(End of this chapter)